Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Financial support for disability and long-term sickness
Isobel Lawrance
7th Sep 2023
Financial support for disability or long-term sickness
There is a huge range of financial support, benefits, grants, one-off payments, equipment and more available to help those with disabilities or long-term sickness, including guaranteed acceptance life insurance. There is also monetary help for carers and those who live with someone with a disability.
Keep reading to find out more.
Financial support
Disability Living Allowance for children
Disability Living Allowance for children (DLA) is a tax-free benefit for those under the age of 16. This helps with extra costs caused by long-term sickness or a disability.
Personal Independence Payment
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a tax-free benefit for those over 16 and those under state pension age. It helps with the higher costs caused by long term ill-health or a disability. It is slowly replacing DLA for adults. You could get between £26.90 and £172.75 a week. It depends on how severely your condition affects you.
Attendance Allowance
Attendance Allowance is a tax-free benefit for people over the State Pension age. It’s also available for those who have a disability and need someone to help look after them. If you need supervision to keep you safe, or help with personal care, this could be appropriate for you.
Statutory Sick Pay
You might be able to claim Statutory Sick Pay of £109.40 a week for up to 28 weeks if you are employed but are unable to work due to sickness. You can also claim this if your average earnings for the two months before you stopped working were at least £123 a week.
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
If your Statutory Sick Pay has run out, or you don’t qualify for it, you may be able to get New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). This is paid to you if you are unable to work or can only work a few hours a week. To qualify, you’ll need to have paid National Insurance contributions for at least two years.
Universal Credit
You might also be able to claim Universal Credit. You can claim Universal Credit alongside Statutory Sick Pay or New Style Employment and Support Allowance. Universal Credit is replacing other benefits, including income-related ESA, Income Support, Housing Benefit and tax credit.
If you need help with housing costs, make sure you add this to your Universal Credit application to ensure you get the help you need.
Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI)
If you feel you need support with your mortgage payments, you could receive Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), to help with interest on your monthly payments. This is usually pad directly to your mortgage lender, and you will either have to pay this back when you are able to, or when you sell your home.
Help with Council Tax
If you live by yourself, have a disability or are a carer for someone you live with, you could get support for Council Tax. The help you will get depends on your location, as every council is different, with varying terms to qualify. Contact your local council to find out more.
Grants
If you or someone you live with has a long-term illness or disability, you may be eligible for a grant. A grant is a financial donation you don’t need to repay and can be a huge help.
Here are the places you can find and apply for grants:
- MoneyHelper: MoneyHelper has a great guide of grants for those with long-term sickness and disability.
- Sense: Charity Sense has loads of information about the types of grants available the different avenues you can take for financial support.
- Disabled Facilities Grants: The Disabled Facilities Grants can help meet the cost of making changes to your home. This means you can live safely and independently without worrying about the cost. People of all ages can apply.
- Scope: Charity Scope have great advice and support about mobility, adapting your home, financial grants for help on holiday or leaving home, energy bills, therapies, treatments and more.
- Disability Grants: A brilliant website listing all the grants currently available. You can find out the terms and conditions of each grant, the application deadline and more, in one, easy-to-navigate place.
- Citizen’s Advice: A great grants checker that allows you to search and filter the available support.
- Marie Curie: If you or a loved one has a terminal illness, there is support available to you.
Help for carers
If you are a carer, you may also be able to find financial support.
Carer’s Allowance is extra money to help you look after someone with substantial caring needs. You could also get Carer’s Credit so there will not be any gaps in your National Insurance record.
If you are unable to work due to your caring responsibilities, you need to adjust your home or day to day help, you can click here to find out all that the government has to offer.
well, I seem to lose out, my disability ids shocking depression on a daily basis but the now look at age!!!!!really how silly.
Email me if you want to share this story with others anonymously. The assessments are getting out of control so it is always good to make some noise. I am so sorry this is happening to you.